Trouble in River City, way, way back in 1907

WALT RUMMEL

Published 7:00 pm, Sunday, January 4, 2004

The trash collectors have picked up and buried all those expensive Christmas wrappings and ribbons, dis-ornamented Christmas trees have been gathered from in front of Thumb homes and kids ("Thank you, Lord") are back in school.

It's time to get back into life's routine which we forsook sometime around mid-November.

In the newspaper world, this is generally regarded as the "slow" time of the year, at least before the years of the Saddams and Osamas and al-Qaida. That makes early January a great time to burrow through stacks of unclassified and oft-forgotten notes and clippings on and under the editorial desk.

Take this clipping from a 97-year-old county newspaper, where the editor is commenting on a crusade then being carried out by The Bad Axe Tribune.

The clipping is headed "Loafing in Saloons," and it reports that The Tribune was battling to make it illegal to allow "minors to visit and hang around the saloons and pool rooms" of the town.

It wasn't just happening in Bad Axe, the article from April 26, 1907, explained, but in almost every small town those underage boys were "frequenting the local drinking places." Worst of all, that benighted class of frequenters think the "practice is an important factor in making real men out of themselves."

Instead of belaboring 2004 readers with 1907 verbatim, we'll just skip through and hit the high points, to acquaint you with the gravity of the situation.

The new law would forbid any minor child, under 17, or any minor who is a student in any public, private or parochial school in Michigan, to frequent any saloon, bar room, or any other place where spirituous or intoxicating liquor, or wine, or beer or malt liquor is sold, given away or furnished for a beverage. It also applies to any place of amusement, known as dance houses, concert saloons, variety theaters, or any houses of prostitution, or in any room or hall occupied or used for hire, gain, or reward, for the purpose of playing billiards, pool, nine-pins, cards, dice or any other unlawful game, or in any room or hall used or occupied for gaming, pool-selling or betting in any manner whatsoever.

And here's what happens to any wanton sinner, with an eye only on ill-gotten profits instead of on the welfare of the rising generations. Any proprietor, keeper, or manager of any such place who shall permit such child to remain in any such place, and any person who shall encourage, or induce in any way such child to enter such place or to remain therein "shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor".

The fine shall be not less than $25 nor more than $50, or by imprisonment in the county jail of not less than 10 days or more than 30 days, or BOTH (capitalizations by the editor) (for emphasis, of course).

That's up to the "discretion of the court," the news clipping concluded.

Unfortunately the present-day discovery of this noble legislation came too late to interview many of the folks who were affected by it. It's sad, but true, that many who were in the 12 to 16 year-old bracket in 1907 are now deceased. And it's a sure bet that those who have survived until now, don't remember.

But we can all profit by a quick look at life and its problems shortly after the start of the 20th century.

It makes us 21st century residents recognize that there were problems in the years past, too.